Decision ‘soon’ on China nuclear fuel reprocessing plant: Areva exec

Source:Reuters-Global Times Published: 2017/5/18 22:18:40

China is expected to make a decision on a 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) reprocessing plant for spent nuclear fuel very soon after work on one proposed site was suspended amid protests last year, an executive with France's Areva said on Thursday.

Jean Pierre Gros, Areva's senior vice-president, said that a final decision on the plant is closer to an end.

"China still wants to commission this plant by 2030, which means that we have to start the construction quite soon," he told an industry conference.

The proposed plant is being built by the central government-run China National Nuclear Corp in collaboration with Areva. Discussions between the two sides began 10 years ago.

The plant will be modeled on Areva's facilities at La Hague in western France.

It will be capable of processing 800 tons of spent nuclear fuel, which refers to nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor.